June 19 through 27, 2023
"I know that all good things must come to an end and I've had an incredible ride. I just want to end it on the right note." - Alonzo Mourning
Cancun, Mexico turned out to be a pretty good ending spot for this year, despite us having chosen it pretty randomly (originally we were thinking Jamaica, and at one point, the Dominican Republic). After being dismayed by the exorbitant prices of hotels in the tourist section ("Hotel Zone"), I found us a sweet Airbnb that was about 1/2 hour away. Our Airbnb is a full-size house that can sleep 8 people and has a full kitchen, 3 bathrooms, and is in a gated community (which helped with feeling safer in this country). The owner, whom we never actually met, was super-responsive with fixing stuff and offering advice. We made good use of the 7-11 across the street, the Walmart that was 10-15 mins walk, and the Domino's Pizza nearby (which was really necessary that first night ;).
Together and separately, we did 3 excursions - one catamaran/snorkeling cruise to nearby Isla Mujeres, one full-day tour to a Mayan cenote and Chichen Itza (an old Mayan city that is now designated one of the New 7 Wonders of the World), and a one-day trip to Playa del Carmen and Cozumel island for 4 snorkeling stops. My favorite was Cozumel which had sea stars, (docile) sting rays you could touch, and the clearest blue water I've ever seen (plus a really good Go-Pro photographer). To be sure, all three excursions were rather touristy (as much of the Yucatan Peninsula is) and the buffets were subpar, but we did get the overall "flavor" of the region. Side note: although I went to the trouble of getting "ocean-safe" sunscreen, the snorkeling guides wouldn't actually let us use *any* sunscreen for fear of damaging the reef and sea life (which, I suppose, makes some sense since it is a major industry for them).
We decided to skip the overly touristy resorts (like Xcaret and other X names) because they were further away and pricey (and more geared toward families or thrill-seekers). We also got very familiar with using Uber to get around (taxis can be sketchy and price-gouging, as we learned in our first minutes exiting the Cancun airport ;). My broken Spanish was sufficient here, especially since most people don't speak English fluently. Infrastructure was pretty good where we were staying, but oddly lacking in crosswalks ... and mailboxes for some reason? I tried to get a massage at one point, and also visit a Toastmasters club, but discovered that Mexican websites are sometimes wrong or out-of-date 😐 But our biggest complaint here was the relentless humidity (oy!); everyone I asked said that it never lets up and Cancun is always hot. Maybe that's why everyone's always in the water :)
One of the big highlights of this week was celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary. I found us a lovely Italian restaurant right on the water called Nicoletta, which I would highly recommend. The food was amazing and was only surpassed by the impeccable service (honestly the best I've had in years). We even got to watch the sun set during our meal :) which was a lovely way to mark the occasion. I feel like this year was a real testament to the strength of our marriage. Any marriage that can stay solid when you're together 24/7/365 must have some real glue (and love) holding it together.
Since this part of the trip was intended as a wind-down, I did actually spend 3-4 days doing not much of anything (which admittedly was hard for me). I'm realizing that I will need a solid transition period upon return to California, and I am just a bit worried about getting sucked into commitments unintentionally (I know, just say "no"...). My first priority of course will be catching up on time with my girls :) It's wild to me that we are nearly empty nesters now.
All good things must come to an end and this is my final blog entry (structured to be #54, my age :) After a year of seeing 36 countries (18 new to me), writing 100 Instagram posts (with 50 followers!) and 54 blog posts, reading 26 books, sending 90 postcards, making my way to about 100 UNESCO sites (lifetime), hitting 72 total countries (!), and visiting 4 Toastmasters clubs, it's a little bittersweet to be heading back home. Although I worried that keeping this blog would be "work" I am now so grateful that I was talked into it (by my girls!) and that I have this wonderful record of this year.
Thanks for coming along on this "Radical Sabbatical" journey that we were super-privileged to be able to take. It was fun knowing that our adventures were vicariously enjoyed by those we love 💓.
With love and gratitude, Deena and Art
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